Automatic coupler for toy trains



Nov. 23 1920. I 1,608,300

L. CARUSO AUTOMATIC COUPLER FOR TOY TRAINS Filed May 22, 1923 Fig.1.

7i i 79 f 10 U nu v I Q H I [Ili m INVENTOR Patented Nov. 23, 192.6.

UNITED STAT \S PATENT OFFICE- LOUIS CARUSO, F IRVINGTON, NEW' JERSEY,ASSIGNOR T0 THE. LIONEL CORPORA- TION, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A COREORATIONOF NEW YORK.

AUTOMATIC COUELER FOR TOY TRAINS.

Application filed May 22, 1923. i Serial No. 640,669.

The present invention relates to an automatic coupler suitable for usewith toy trains. Devices which have been heretofore provided forcoupling toy trains have been more or less unsatisfactory becausetheydid not always properly couple the cars and hold them together. Thepresent invention is directed toward a form of coupler which has beenfound to be satisfactory for the pur pose.

An object of the present invention is to provide an automatic couplerfor toy trains which can be made up out of sheet metal by simple stamnng operations.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an automaticcoupler which will function to automatically couple cars together ontheir approach and which will pro vide for one car pulling the other orpushing 2 the other as the case may be.

Another object of the invention is to provide a coupler of such a designthat the pull from one car to the other takes place in practically astraight line.

The accompanying drawings show for the purposes of illustration one ofthe many possible embodiments in which the present invention may takeform, it being understood that the drawings are intended to illustratethe invention rather than limit the same.

In these drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view illustrating two couplers in coupled position,

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the couplers shown in Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2 looking in thedirection of the arrows,

Fig. L is a section taken on the line 4e4 of Fig. 2 looking in thedirection of the arrows, and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the coupling devices.

Referring more particularly to Flgures 3, 4 and 5 ofthe drawings, itwill appear that each coupler is made up of suitable sheet metalstampings fastened together. The conpler has one sheet metal stamplngwhich provides a draw-bar 6 having an aperture 7 whereby it may bepivotally fastened to the car or locomotive with which it is to be used.The stamping is provided with a downwardly bent portion 8 and with aportion 9 which is parallel with the portion 6 and spaced a shortdistance below it. A portion of the sheet metal which is a lateralcontinuationof thedeprcssed portion 9'is bent upwardly as shown at 10and then continues to the left as shown at 11 where-it is provided witha coupler hook. An offset" portion 12 intermediatethe portionsllmay beprovided, if desired, to bring the-portion 11 over on top of the portion9 as indicated.- The extreme end of the portion 11 isprovided with acoupler hook having ashoulder 13 which faces toward the draw-ban 6 andwith anoblique cam-surface 14-;

The sheet metal is also bent upwardly as shown at 15-. This upwardlybent portion is provided with a hole 16 and with an open slot 17 forpurposes to be described. A gravity controlled latch member 18, whichmay also be made ofsheet metal, is pivot-ed on a pin 19 passing throughthe hole 16. This latch isprovided with a projection 20 which is adaptedto engage with-the edge 21 of the upright portion 15 tolimit the upwardmovement of the latch. The latch is also provided with an obliquecainmember 22, which rests upon the portion 11', as is apparent inthedrawings. The latch member is also shown as having a depending portion23 which passes down alongsidethe outer surface of the member 11 andwhich prevents this member; frombeing bent sides wise. Abuiier 2 1: in.the form of anangular piece of sheet metal is fastened underneath theportion 9, either by riveting,.soldering or welding as desired. Thisbuffer, it will be noted, extends a short distance beyond the uprightportion 15.

When two cars have been equipped with devices such as have beendescribed, the cars may be coupled together as shown inFigs.

1 and 2. As the cars approach one another the oblique cam surface 14oneach of the couplers engages the-oblique cam 22: on the latch of theother coupler. In this manner the latches on both couplers are liftedfrom the position shown in full lines'inFig. 3 to the positionshownindotted lines'gtwhereupon the cam portions drop down'back 0f theshoulders 13; The buffers 2%: will limit the movement of the cars towardone another preventing lost motion, and the latches and shoulders willpermit one car to pull the other..

In the arrangement shown. in the=drawings, it is obvious that thepullfrom' one: car to another is-through substantially-astraight lainline. This comes about by depressing the central portions of thecouplers so that the point of engagement of the shoulders and latches isapprommately in a straight line with the under surfaces of the drawbars.By this arrangement there is no tendency to pull the parts of theautomatic coupler out of alignment. ll is also obvious that, itdesired,certain of ti o automatic features of the coupler can be pensedwith and other teatures ained so hat the coupler would be non-automatic.

I claim:

1. Coupling means for toy trains Cl11PllS ing a pair of couplers carriedby the ends of toy cars, each coupler including a drawbar in the form ofa sheet metal stamping one end of which has provisions for swingin lyconnecting it to a toy car, the other end having an upright shoulderracing the first mentioned end, the intermediate portion being upwardlybent to provide a support for a latch, and a latch pivotally mounted onsaid support, the latch on one coupler being engageable with theshoulder on the other.

2. Coupling means for toy trains comprising a pair of couplers carriedby the ends of toy cars, each coupler including a draw-bar in the termof a sheet metal stamping one end of which has provisions for swinglnglyconnecting it to a toy car, the other end hav ing an upright shoulderfacing the first men tioned end, the intermediate portion being upwardlr bent to provide a support for a latch, and a latch pivotally mountedon said support, the latch on one coupler being engageable with theshoulder on the other, said coupler being further provided with meansfor moving the latches as the cars approach one another whereby thelatches and shoulders may become interengaged.

3. Coupling means for toy trains comprisa pair of couplers carried bythe ends of toy cars, each coupler including a draw-bar in the form of asheet metal stamping one end of which has provisions for swinginglyconnecting it to a toy car, the other end having an upright shoulderfacing the first mentioned end, the intermediate portion being upwardlybent to provide a support for a latch, and a gravity controlled latchpivotally mounted on said support, the latch on one coupler beingengageable with the shoulder on the other.

l. Coupling means for toy trains comprising a pair of couplers carriedby the ends of toy cars, each coupler including a draw-bar in the formor a sheet metal. stamping one end of which has provisions forswingingly connecting it to a toy car, the other end having an uprightshoulder lacing the first mentioned end, the intermediate portion beingupwardly bent to provide a support for a latch, and a latch pivotallymounted on said support, the latch on one coupler being enreeaeoogageable with the shoulder on the other, said latches and shoulders whencoupled being so disposed that one car may pull the other, each of saiddevices further including abutter in the form of an angular piece ofsheet metal fastened to the underside of the sheet metal stamping and'sodisposed that one car may push the other.

5. Coupling means for toy trains comprising a pair 03"; couplers carriedby the ends of toy cars, each coupler including a draw-bar in the termof a sheet metal stamping one end of which has provisions for swingmglyconnecting it to a toy car, the other end having an upright shoulderfacing the first mentioned end, the intermediate portion being upwardlybent to provide a support for a latch, and latch pivotally mounted onsaid support, the latch on one coupler being ongageable with theshoulder on the other, said couplers being further provided with meansfor moving the latches as the cars approach one another whereby thelatches and shoulders may become interei'igaged, and with a butler inthe form of an angular piece of sheet metal fastened to the underside ofthe sheet metal stamping and so disposed that it will engage the butteron th-eother coupler whereby one car may push the other, said latchesand shoulders when coupled being so disposed that onecar may pull theother. I

6. An automatic coupler for toy trains, comprising a pair of rigidsymmetrical draw-bars facing one another, the opposite ends being thinand fiat and disposed in a horizontal plane and the adjacent ends be ingtwisted into parallel vertical planes eX- tending past one another andhaving shoulders, the draw-bars each being provided with a movable catchwhich is automatically interengageable with the shoulder on the otherdraw-bar upon the approach of the draw-bars, said interengagement takingplace in the plane of said opposite ends, whereby the tractive effort isexerted in one plane.

7. An automatic coupler for toy trains, comprising a pair of rigidsymmetrical draw-bars facing one another, the opp site ends being thinand flat and disposed in a horizontal plane and the adjacent ends beingtwisted into parallel vertical planes extending past one another andhaving sh0ulders, the draw-bars being provided with oil'- set portions,and a movable catch carried by each otlset portion, said catches beingautomatically interengageable with the shoulder on the other clraw-barupon the approach of the draw-bars, said interengagement taking place inthe plane oi said opposite ends, whereby the tractive effort is exertedin one plane.

8. A coupling device for a toy car comprising a sheet metal draw-barhaving a coupler hoolr provided with a vertical shoulder and an obliquecam surface, a vertical support bent out of the sheet metal and disposedtransversely, and a transverse gravity controlled latch mounted on saidvertical support, said latch having an oblique cam surface sloping in adirection opposite to that of the cam surface on the coupler hook.

9. A coupling device for a. toy car comprising a normally horizontaldraw-bar having means for swingingly attaching one end to the car andhaving an oblique cam surface near the other end, the intermediateportion being twisted through an angle of 90, a vertical shoulderadjacent the cam surface and facing the car attaching end,

and a transverse gravity controlled latch supported on an upturnedportion of the draw-bar and spaced from the shoulder.

10. A coupling device for a toy car comprising a normally horizontaldraw-bar having means for swingingly attaching one end to the car andhaving an oblique cam surface near the other end, the intermediateportion being twisted through an angle of 90, a vertical shoulderadjacent the cam surface and facing the car attaching end, and atransverse gravity controlled latch supported on an upturned portion ofthe draw-bar and spaced from the shoulder, said latch having an obliquecam surface sloping in a direction opposite to the first cam surface.

11. A sheet metal stamping for an automatic coupler for toy trains, saidstamping having an upwardly bent portion providing a pivotal mountingfor a transverse latch, a vertical shoulder extending beyond themounting for engaging the latch of a mating coupler to lock the couplerstogether, and a cam surface beyond the shoulder, the thickness of thedraw-bar and the upwardly bent portion and the width of the shoulder andcam being substantially equal.

12. A coupler for toy trains comprising a piece of sheet metal having aflat portion constituting a draw-bar, a depressed flat portion, anupwardly bent portion at the free end of the depressed fiat portion, anda second upwardly bent portion at one side of the depressed portion,said second upwardly bent portion extending beyond and being spaced fromthe first upwardly bent portion and being provided with a shoulder, anda latch pivoted on the first upwardly bent portion and resting 011 thesecond upwardly bent portion.

13. A coupler for toy trains comprising a piece of sheet metal having afiat portion constituting a draw-bar, a depressed flat portion, anupwardly bent portion at the free end of the depressed flat portion, anda second upwardly bent portion at one side of the depressed portion,said second upwardly bent portion extending beyond and being spaced fromthe first upwardly bent portion and being provided with a shoulder, alatch pivoted on the first upwardly bent ortion and resting on thesecond upward y bent portion, and a bulfer fastened underneath thedepressed portion and extending beyond the second upwardly bent portion.

14. In a coupler for toy trains, a piece of sheet metal having a fiatportion constituting a draw-bar, a depressed flat portion, an upwardlybent portion at the free end of the depressed flat portion, and atransverse latch pivoted near the upper end of the upwardly bentportion.

15. In a coupler for toytrains, a piece of sheet metal having a flatportion constituting a draw-bar, a depressed fiat portion, an upwardlybent portion at the free end of the depressed flat portion, a transverselatch pivoted near the upper end of the upwardly bent portion, and afinger carried by the latch and engageable with the upwardly bentportion for limiting the upward movement of the latch.

16. In an automatic coupler for toy trains, a sheet metal draw-barhaving a pivotal mounting for a transverse latch, a shoulder extendingbeyond the mounting, and a cam surfacebeyond the shoulder, and atransverse gravity controlled latch mounted in said pivotal mounting,said latch resting against the top of the draw-bar and extending downalongside the draw-bar.

Signed at Irvington, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey,this 10th day of May, 1923.

LOUIS OARUSO.

